Multiple movement gate



ec. 8, i953 A. Rl-:YMANN MULTIPLE MOVEMENT GATE Filed April 26, 1951 Emm w mww Patented Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES MULTIPLE MOVEMENT GATEAlois Reymann, Sandwich, Ill.

Application April 26, 1951, Serial No. 222,995 1 claim. (o1. 39-76) Thisinvention relates to gates, and has particular reference to a novel andimproved farm gate of such construction that it is inherently free ofany tendency to sag, is easily adjustable as to ground clearance, may besecurely latched at various degrees of ground clearance, and may bereadily raised to clear snowdrifts, ice, or other obstructions such asmight otherwise interfere with the swingingv movement ofthe gate andprevent easy opening and closing thereof.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a gate structurewherein the gate is not only adjustable as to ground clearance, but isalso adapted to be locked at various elevations, so that Ait may be setat a height such that it will prevent passage of large farm animals, yetpermit the smaller farmyard animals to pass under it.

A still further object of the invention is the privision of a gate sodesigned and constructed that the gate frame is readily capable ofvertical lifting as well as horizontal swinging movement, and sodesigned that sagging may be avoided even though the hinge post on whichthe gate is mounted should be pulled out of precise vertical alignmentby the strains imposed upon it.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a gatehaving means for affording vertical movement as well as swingingmovement, with balancing devices whereby the weight of the gate isadequately supported in all positions; so that it may be easily raisedor lowered without appreciable manual effort.

A still' lfurther object of the invention is the provision of a gatearranged for vertical shifting movement as well as lateral swinging,together with a gate latch mechanism of such design and construction asto permit engagement of the latch at any point within a wide range ofvertical positions, and so constructed that the counterbalancing springsof the gate structure hold the latch against accidental release.

The foregoing objects are accomplished in the present invention by agate having a unique arrangement of frame members wherein the verticaland the horizontal frame members are of rigid construction and arrangedin intersecting relationship, but wherein the several individual membersof the frame are pivoted to each other so that the entire assembly isfree for vertical lifting movement as well as horizontal swingingmovement. Thus the outer or free swinging end of the gate may bemanually raised as the gate is opened, to bring the parts into upwardlyin- `\clined, diagonal relationship with each other whereby the gate canswing clear of any obstructions such as accumulations oi snow or ice inits normal path of swinging movement. The latch construction is soarranged that it may be released only after the free swinging end of thegate is manually lowered, as by bearing downwardly on one of the framemembers thereof.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawingsof the present specication, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a gate as contemplated by thisinvention, the normal position of the frame elements thereof beingillustrated in full lines and a raised position of the gate shown indotted lines;

Figure 2 is a detail plan sectional view of the gate latch mechanism,the view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 2 2 ofFigure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one of the pivotaljoints between the horizontal frame members and the upright members ofthe frame; i Figure 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of the verticalsupporting member of the gate and the hinge post on which the gate ismounted, with a fragmentary section of one of the horizontal framemembers of the gate shown thereon; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken substantially on theplane of the line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the lower end of the liftinglink and the roller construction employed there'- on.

The gate consists, in its essential parts, of a supporting member llicomprising a heavy U- shaped metal channel (Figure 4) having hinge pinsIl and I2 at the upper and lower ends thereof whereby it is hinged tosuitable brackets I3 and M on the gate post I5. The member l0 serves asa mounting for the cross frame members I6, Il, I8, I9 and 20, which maycomprise wooden beams pivotally mounted to the supporting member l0 onbolts 2l, 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively. The frame of the gate alsoincludes one or more upright frame members 26, each of which will bepivoted to the several horizontal members by bolts 2l, 28, 29, 30 and3l. The bolts 21-3I are preferably each provided with a spacing sleeve32 (Figure 3). These sleeves and bolts each extend through a bore in oneof the longitudinal frame members so that the opposite frame members 26,which are preferably of angle iron, may be tightly bolted together, yetwill be free for pivotal movement with respect to the horizontal Woodenbeams of the frame.

The gate includes a lifting link 33 and balance spring 34 to compensatefor the weight of the frame and facilitate the manual shifting of thegate between the full line and dotted line positions shown. Asillustrated, the lifting link 33 is pivoted to the supporting member lby the top bolt 2l thereon, and the lower end of the lifting link isprovided with a cross bolt 35 on which a bushing 36 and roller 3 arecarried. The bolt 35 also extends thru'gh. a clevisy 38 byy which thebalancev spring 39 is attached to the link. The outer end of the balancespring 34 is secured to the frame by a bracket 39 and a tie bolt 49have# ing an adjusting nut il thereon to vary the ten-f sion exerted bythe balance spring 3d.

The latch mechanism of the gate includes a horizontal slide bar 42mounted inbrackets 43 on one of the horizontal frame members, andprovided with a downwardly extending,` mantially operable handle 44.r`ihe forward end of the latch has a hooked end portion A5 whichisadaptedto engage a keeper on the gate post as described more fully inmy copending applica tions Ser. Nos. 690,726 and- 38,820. The keeperconsists of a vertical angle iron IH' and parallel bar 48 between whichvthe hooked end t5 of the' latch bolt may engage, ItY is preferred,however, to provide vertical stop portions 59 at intervals along theangle iron, so that the hooked end' portion of the latch bar will bearagainst the surface of one of the stops, so that the latch not onlylimits the vertical movement of the gate, but is at the same timeself-locking. That is, the Contact between the hooked end t5 and thestops 49 prevents inadvertent rotation of the latch bolt, and thisprovides an adequate safeguard against accidental release. Intentionalrelease of the latch is, of course, easily accomplished by manuallyshifting the frame members of the gate sufciently to allow the end ofthe latch 45 to clear the stops 49, and then lifting the manual handle44 and withdrawing the latch bolt from the keeper. When lifted to thedotted lin'e position shown in Figure 1, the gate will easily clearobstructions such as snowdrifts 50.

It will be seen from the above that inasmuch as the frame members of thegate are pivoted to each other in a flexible manner and are provided'with a balancing spring, there will be no tendency for the gate to sageven in the event that the hinge post should be pulled out of precisevertical alignment. Moreover, the outer end of the gate may be raised orlowered manually to provide any required amount of ground clearance. Thestructure is so Idesigned that it may be lifted to a considerable heightif necessary in order to clear obstructions such as snow or ice whichmay accumulate in its normal path of horizontal swinging movement. Itis, at the same time, comparatively simple and easy to assemble and issufficiently inexpensive to manufacture as to be practicable from acommercial standpoint.

Having thus described. my invention, what I claim as newv and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

A gate comprising in combination, a supporting member consisting of aU-shaped metallic channel having a pair of hinge pins at the upper and'lower ends thereof, with a plurality of. bolts extending between theflanges at vertically spaced intervals; a plurality of wooden beamsleach having one end portion disposed between said flanges and pivoted onthe aforesaid bolts and extending outwardly therefrom in parallelrelation to each other; a plurality of upright frame members disposed inexo-acting pairs' on the fronty and back faces of said beams,

with each of said uprightv frame members: ex

tending across each of the beams and; being pivoted thereto by boltsextending between the frame members and passingV through spacingsleeves. received in pivotal apertures of each of said beams; with apair of lifting links pivotally connected to one of the aiorementionedbolts on the supporting member, said links extending downwardly andoutwardly from said bolt inparallel relationship and on the oppositesides ofv at least one of said beams; a roller between the lower ends ofsaid linksl adapted to engage one of said beams on its lower surface tourge the gate upwardly, and a balance spring horizontally disposedbetween adjacent beams and extending outwardly from said roller, wherebythe action of said roller and links will exert an upward component offorce on the gate.

ALOIS REYMANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName y Date 79,109 David June 23, 1868 905,575 Plowman s Dec. 1, 1908950,671 Landis Mar. 1, 1910 1,355,953 Fay Oct. 19,V 1920 2,500,236Anderson V... Mar. 14, 1950 2,618,876 Goode i Nov. 25, 1952

